Ocular Viewing #6 A micro viewing or so I thought

[For those not familiar with these chronicles, via the oculus and its machination within my iFruit, I am following the adventures of a dungeoneer named Murkstav through what professionals would call an extraction mission, though many times the man just seems to be CRAWLING through a subterranean world, a DUNGEON for the senses]

REASSURE, REWARD

The hero, the man with the sword, a dungeoneer, needed to be reassured of his reward, needed to make a break and cut bate, make a profit. He noticed the alchemist’s room about him, with an iron furnace and pipes and loads of ingredients around. There was a pumper, a giant iron engine that coughed, Murkstav looked around, bitter with the oil dropping like butter from the ceiling.

Disgusting as the ooze flowed, the subterranean warrior sick with sweat and oil, like heated butter about him, turned and observed his surrounding for anything of value. Everything in his core could not let him return to his TENSION ALLIES with an empty hand. Strange how his guild needed proof for these strange adventures, these dives into the deepest of realms.

Murkstav got his bearings, checked the dressing on his wound, which seemed (7) no better or worse than before. He looked about and wondered if anything, anything at all in that place would somehow salvage this situation.

DungeonWords PORTAL, LOOT, SPIRITS

The man looked up to an archway, wide with a stone trim, complete darkness beyond. He looked at a few carrion tables filled with strange liquors, when smelled scented of simple spirits and liqueurs. He never met an alchemist that was not a drunk, as if the human body itself was a catalyst for simple metals turning valuable. He looked under the tables, seemingly scientific and found a wealth of loot. (MONOLITH) Bars of silver, gold and platinum, perhaps too large to carry but sometimes in extractions, you don’t have to know or make your way back. He clasped two platinum and a gold and snuck them into his backpack. He noticed upon the treasured monolith strange symbols, strange images of a FANATICAL cult, the bars were so inlayed the dungeoneer wondered if there would be more money in trading them to the dwarves. Placing the bars in balanced pockets, he hoisted his backpack over his shoulder, and did not mind the extra weight.

Extra weight for extra pay, not a problem.

Looking to the portal Murkstav looked up into the shaft, knowing full well that he really had no where else to go. The fire above did not look like it had any intention of letting him pass any time at all in the near future. With that he strode into the portal...

NECROMANCY, ACOLYTES, NET

(The thing that troubles me about this method of ocular observation, using a mechanical device rather than a scroll, is the fact that one uses more than one lens. In the referral of dungeonwords I notice I use all three words, but it is the way it is happening, and who am I to question the ocular oracle?

In the room just beyond Murkstav (odd that the oculus has shifted to other people) the men waited, dressed in robes of purple and silver trim, nets in their hands to capture this intruder. There were four of them, bald with hawk noses and expressions of intense hate. They watched Murkstav stealing the bars inlaid with sacred imagery, cursing his form and planning his demise.

Murkstav took one look back, but his instincts suddenly did not push his foot forward. Something was amiss, something indeed and one would ask the oracle if the dungeoneer’s skills would tell him of an impending doom.

(yes and)

Rogue of Changes V: Solo App Tryout

For the next installment of Rogue of Changes, I decided to both play and review a curious google doc add- on called Solo Roleplay Tools by James Regan which turns the Mythic Solo Engine into a sidebar with various choices representing everything from probability questions to scene setup and the best one (since I use Fudge stats for opposed rolls) Opposed Question which allows you to plug in the appropriate scale for combat. 

I tried it out with good ol' Murk and it was pretty seamless. The only real thing I miss is the Yes, and or No, but that rpgsolo.com rolls up. Also in the Random Generators tab I would fill it up with everything from dungeon layout to random wandering monster or something of the sort. 

Other than that, it really pushes solo-ing toward writing, which is one of my goals in this blog. I plan on using this when I write, when I want to produce a story. So James Regan, great job. 

Now on to part V of our dungeon crawl:

Rogue of Changes V:
Murkstav is at the entrance to the tomb, a great maw of a cave stands to the north. He is poisoned, he cannot go back, he must go forward.

Into the Dungeon : (7) Scene Unaltered*

Nothing has changed for our hero, he is well rested but is still rather poisoned. He must find a cure.

He moves into the entrance, it looks like the entrance to a cave, giant thirty feet by twenty at the apex. The entrance is dark and Murkstav’s hand begins to tremble causing him to switch his sword to the other hand.

“Does he encounter anything as he moves in?” (Unlikely vs 5: 35%) Roll 16: Yes

What does he encounter? Efficiently Glorious .

Murkstav walks into the cave, something shines in the dim dim light. There is a pedestal just ahead of heam, gleaming a dull green. The dungeoneer perceives that it is jade, but found it odd that it was intact. He looks groggily at the floor, looking for skeletons or things that would tell him this whole set-up is a trap.

“Is there anything on the floor? ?” (Somewhat Likely vs 5: 65%) Roll 81: No

Looking to the floor our hero finds nothing of note, this only makes him more suspicious. He looks back to where he came from, the morning star lights looking very inviting right now.

No doubt about it, there is something on this pedestal something that is too glorious, too timely to be believed. It looks to be a potion of healing, a salve in a red bag tied by a brown string. The mercenary has seen it a dozen times in the stores about Rivermoon, but here it is something entirely different, something to be feared.

“Is the potion viable?” (Unlikely vs 5: 35%) Roll 19: Yes

“And is it booby trapped?” (Very Likely vs 5: 85%) Roll 83: Yes

“How likely is it for Murk to perceive the trap?” (Likely vs 5: 75%) Roll 62: Yes

Nothing in the dungeon, in the underground can be too good, there was something, a gleam that Murkstav noticed in that cavern. His skills, his instincts called for hesitation there.

What does the trap consist of? Peacefully Festive

Pardon? Gratify Dreams

Looking like a healing potion, the elixir would induce dreaming, slumber, a sleep potion. As if something wanted to make intruders sleep.

This will make the chaos factor go up in turn

What lurks herein that placed the bait? Cooly Pale

It was then that Murkstav realized that the chamber had become colder. Pulling his cloak closer to his shoulders he ignored the potion on the pedestal and kept moving into the hallway.

Let us see how this works in creating a dungeon, what is the next section? Dangerously Historical

Here I had to go to rpgsolo.com to get the layout of the dungeon, other than that I stayed with the google add-on.

RoC V: From the Mythic trial, using this to make a dungeon...according to the other thing this is dangerously historical, means nothing to me at this time:

Door on right side corridor continues.

5 = 5[d6]

(No encounter)  

At the end of what seemed like a hallway that ran 80 feet ahead are two large historically ornate doors. The one on the right is open and it is likely that there is something on the other side. Yeah its a sure thing that there is something behind that door, grabbing the door.

“Is there something behind that left door?” (Sure Thing vs 5: 90%) Roll 1: Exceptional Yes

There is something cold behind that door, a giant ice golem that feeds on unsuspecting visitors, was that the reason why the other bandits had been hesitating? The door is grabbed by the immense hand and it swings open with a lurch.

This is where the app is the strongest, where the player can input the ranking of each combatant or opposing object: 

“Murk versus ice golem. ?” (My school  vs Ice Golem : 10%) Roll 73: No

“Golem Round 2?” (High vs Superhuman: 10%) Roll 13: No

“3?” (High vs Superhuman: 10%) Roll 42: No

“Last chance?” (High vs Superhuman: 10%) Roll 12: No

“one more for the road?” (High vs Superhuman: 10%) Roll 36: No

There is no way that he is going to go blow to blow with this guy, there has to be another way that he gets out of this situation, He is the hero and there has to bed something. There is an odd luck, no doubt a chaos factor, no doubt somthing else that will change the situation.

So let us up the chaos factor to 9

Considering there is nothing he can do we move onto another question.

“Is there an X Factor that Murk takes advantage of which allows him to defeat/ overcome this enemy?” (Very Likely vs 5: 85%) Roll 33: Yes

Random Event Occurs: NPC action: Disrupt The intellectual

“Away yonder heathen!” the voice boomed from behind the monster, Murk trying desperately to gain a footing, thinking he could best the giant in combat. “Take that for your smite!” it again screamed in a loud deep voice, crashing the monster’s shouders with what seemed like a fireball.

Dungeonance

Looking over these blogs, these posts, my account on steam- it seems we are going through a dungeonance, a renaissance, a rebirth of the good ol’ dungeon crawl. I wonder many times if it is because the dungeon masters and players of the 80’s and 90’s are now having children and they want to relive those thrilling crawls of yesteryear. Even pixels, PIXELS, have been thrown back to their 80’s equivalents. This is astonishing in a world that has such reality games as Skyrim or Metro and Borderlands. 

Why are we going back to those underground memories of old? What lies there? Memory?

My dungeon crawls usually happened on Saturday mornings, starting at 9 am and ending about twelve hours later. Or in the school cafeteria, or the back of Lab class (the dissected frog was our dragon). Even to this day graph paper is a comfort, a dungeon map is a way of organizing my universe- am I am OSR-OCD? 

I am happy for this. Our children are descending into our dungeons, fighting our monsters, reliving our legends into a new age. Our monster manuals are no longer dusty, babies are teething on oversized D20’s and Nethack has a whole new generation of divers and warriors to plunder. 

It is a great thing to hear about these blogs, forums and posts about the next generation growing bright eyed and bushy tailed in the stank, soot and bile of an old-fashioned dungeon crawl. Like fathers like sons I guess, and no character sheet shall ever go dusty. 

What we (need to) know so far

Here is what we know so far, these will be critical in the moments to come: 

1. Murk is hurt, perhaps critically, he will use his alchemy to cure or something of the sort. 
2. There is a corridor underneath, it is 10' wide and heads north, for now. 
3. No doubt the map points to greater things underneath, something out there, something good, something big, and hell who knows something evil.
4.  At this time I am not sure if he has his armor, maybe this is the mission where he finds it no? 
5. What or who constructed underneath the crypt?
6. Is Murkstav alone on this mission?

(Re) Purpose

Either life or circumstance or just the smell of the subterranean, I got the bug again. Returning here to this rare place to write of things, treasures and monsters under the realms. The main them of this blog is a dungeon crawl as story. But this time it is going to be a bit different. Now it is a story fueled by the thrill, rolling and role-ing of a traditional pen and paper dungeon game. 

People say there is a reason why dungeon crawls do not make it into stories. But nothing in my experience inspired me more than rolling a dice and seeing how the character's life changes from moment to moment. It is a door, a lock, the trigger of a trap, or the growl of something that is not at all human that conjures archetypal ideas. Well, at least in my brain. 

Consider this as a journal of that purpose. Now I have more of a solid methodology to this strange craving of madness. 

NOTE: Nothing gets in the way of the writing, nothing. When confronted with any of these rules, or any of the rules of an RPG and/or oracle I will choose the write, the creative flow of the words destroys any and all rules and numbers. RPG is to be used as an AID not to replace writing.  

Thus next up, methodology, what the hell am I doing?

Scrawl Session 3

Our heroes are in deep trouble, the party is split and things are looking rather unripe. A ramp has separated the two groups: Swann and Jestur and Malfor and Onilio. Alas how does it happen, sounds like a serious serious session with the good ol’ mantrap man. The Gods have not figured on how to get them out of there, thus we switch stories to Otilio and Malfor- the farmer still out from the fight with the Ettin. 

     Malfor coughed, his mind racing after the soul-ring grasped his consciousness from the lost worlds. Upon the brink of death the white-gold carried him forth, returning him to the realm of the living. We wakes but he is very weak, the ring pulling his consciousness from the brink of doom. It floated there and the metal surrounded his spirit until it rushed back to the mortal world of wonder, an greatness to behold. But Malfor returns incredibly weak and tired, barely able t carry his wondrous stuffings.

     Otilio heard the heroes fall down the hall. Heard the familiar slide, it was an old trick devised by a more intelligent culture, but he thought but could not place the magnificent tiles upon the service. The Gnorc entered the tomb from its eastern face, coming across it upon the cliff he scaled with a party. 

     The Gnorc, Otilio rushed down the corridor from where his new-found companions recently screamed from, he found nothing, the handle was on the base, he did notice the curtains waving a bit and the sand-marks of a drag or scuffle. 

     “They must be about here, I am sure of it” he thought to himself. Blazing forth toward the room, the Gnorc knew that this only meant doom to touch the torch but surely there was an alternate trigger. He noted about there was a sconce in the wall behind the torch

     Gnorc grabbed a length of rope, tying it about his waste and flung it over one of the railings supporting the curtains. Hanging himself from the waist he placed a torch upon the sconce. He felt a click, closed his eyes and hoped for the best. 

     Deep below Swann and Jestur fought flinging the remains of a former guest into the leech-flooding hole, they suddenly heard a clang, and the iris of the hole shut, slicing a leech in half.

The Logos Dungeon- Sessions 1 & 2

The Logos Dungeon- Summary of Sessions 1 & 2 using Dyson Logos's map, John Yorio's solo-play technique and Mark's rpgsolo.com amazing gm emulator. 

     A vision, a haunting dream of an open tomb, haunts the dreams of a magically-addicted scholar Igbold. His concubine sells the map that he scrawled in a night-terror stupor to the highest price at an Unnamed Tavern. 

     That highest price was to Jestur, a story-teller of ill-repute, a concoctor of tails and perhaps this very one. An former jester, he convinces the captain of a palace guard, Swann, to go into the business of treasure-hunting. 

     “Even a barbarian can do it!”

     “Barbarians have axes and rage”

     “Well I’ve got this!” Jestur responded, holding a wooden scepter with a jingles hanging from it.

     The two travel toward the location of said map, whereupon they come to a field of desolation, a promised crop gone horribly wrong, a tiny estate confiscated by the king. At the center is Malfor, a shattered farmer with a large bag, with all the tools of his now dead trade. Without much convincing he decides to join the troope. After all, as Jestur explains “Reaping monsters has got to be easier than reaping wheat!”

     After spending the night in camp, the neophyte-adventures venture forward to their destination- an opening in a cliff that glows at night like a beacon. Not many have talked about it, but surely it is the glow of gold. 

     “Too easy,” Swann remarked. 

     “Scared?” Jestur asked. 

     “No just putting you on your guard. It is a lovely shade of filthy rich is it not?”

     At the entrance to our yonder tomb, the trio find the walls lined in spectacular golden plates, each more valuable than the next. However something odd is amiss, the cave is crowded with riches. Pouches purses and packs lay piled high against the walls. 

     Thinking it is an offering, the three put their savings on the piles. 

     “One thing I know my friends is you take the gold when you are leaving!” Jestur gestured. 

     Moving south into the wide high tunnel something was amiss, the men of this accidental company faced a horrible monstrosity that had taken the cave as its refuge- an Ettin. A fierce battle was waged, where the Chivalier swung his sword but was dashed against a wall, dazed; the former-Jester threw bags of gold at the creature; the Farmer impaled and injured the creature but was so wounded he was lost from the battle and perhaps this world. A possible new ally, a tall greenish gnome fought mightily, strangely for his race, with an odd ferocity that none could compare. It was he who cleaved into one of the giant's heads, and continued to best it as our original comrades distracted it.

     Finally the fall of their most inculpable comrade, Malfor, the Farmer, drove the Chivalier to dare a splendid slice upon the creature- who fell barely missing Jestur.

     When the dust settled, the two survivors raced to their friend, seeing him on the brink of death. Gnome approached, Jestur realizing that he was not a gnome but a Gnorc- a gnomish with veins of orcish lineage. Taking a ring from his hand filled with rings, the Gnorc placed it upon the fallen, explaining it as a magical lure to the farmer's spirit. Not a way of catching but a way of catching souls.

     While Otilio, the Gnorc, attended to his patient, Jestur and Swann moved ahead in the tunnel. There they saw a wand burning brightly as a torch floating in the middle of a chamber that opened to the west of the corridor. Silk curtains tied with golden rings neatly invited the visitors. This Jestur found all too inviting, and despite warning from a shouting Otilio, he took the wand which was in reality a clever lever. Swann reacted instantly, as if saving the King himself, he rushed to Jestur and pulled him by the neck to escape the dividing stonewall.

     But it was too late and the two suddenly plummeted as the floor became a slide, carrying them to a dug-out chamber filled with sand. Locking them in place Jestur and Swann were not alone and they soon discovered that perhaps wearing armor in the desert sands is a good idea. For the floor moved and waved as hungry things snaked up and down toward them.

     Grabbing Jestur leg for a supper, the man screamed as Swann hacked at the creature.

     

Scrawl- A Solo Gaming Crawl 1

Scrawl- A Solo Gaming Crawl 1

I have been craving this for so long, inspired by +john yorio and his amazing ever-expanding dungeon and Mark incredible GM emulator, RPGsolo.com; I decided to run a massive craving I have had for the past few days, oddly since I got on vacation. 


The various colors are the results generated by rpgsolo.com, followed by the muses and actions of your humble player. I will try to post the adventures herein. Once again my hats off to John and Mark!

The Clearing

Here is another saga, using our engine and USR playing system Rather than playing 3 characters or just using one. I played 'a party' and each attribute became a person.

I also used the Five Room Dungeon which is...

Room 1: Entrance And Guardian
Room 2: Puzzle Or Roleplaying Challenge
Room 3: Red Herring
Room 4: Climax, Big Battle Or Conflict
Room 5: Plot Twist

Here is the party....

D'ang Dwarf D8 (weakened) Hp 1
Axe +2

Melan, Elf d6 Powerful Hp 6
Elvenly things. +2
Sword +1

M-U D4 Medium hp 3
Saving spells +2
Reusable Snare potion +2

Party Total 10,7

Wolves d6
Hit points 1

Werewolf morphed d8
HP 7, 3

Gloomy clearing.

The fog of the morning has lifted and the adventurers three, with D'ang wounded, move into a gloomy clearing, shattered tombstones are about. In the mist a pack of wild wolves smell the wounded veteran and move in.

The wolves are a modest d6 with HP of

1 = 1_[d6]

The elf sees the wolf from afar and attacks, shooting his longbow...

6 = 6_[d6]

wolf evades with a

1 = 1_[d6]

5 points of damage wolf goes DOWN!

WARF askes for healing the dwarf, Malcana responds. Severity of wounds are 5, she will roll got to

3 = 1_[d4]+2

She cannot heal. Let see if Melan can spot something that they could use, perhaps a tomb?

4 = 4_[d6]

He spots a tomb, is it trapped? NO DOUBT...

(Sure Thing | 9_[d10]) Yes.

Trap?

Werewolf.

I like it!

Cheap quill and ink.

Forget the trap. Melan with Mitra helping move D'ang to the pit of a forgotten tomb, but alas there is something in there that is worse, quite worse. There was a reason why there was so many things out there, why there were so many wolves- In the lair is a WEREWOLF of a D8!

7 = 7_[d8]

The thing growls from beneath, D'ang grabs his fiery axe is it magical?

(Very Likely | 3_[d10]) No.

No it is just a big damn axe. He raises it and Mitra casts in surprise...what kind of spell?

Ancient lore.

Dagger.

Magic dagger of ancient lore YES! Spilling from her hands, a deadly intent it goes against the werewolf's hide. Very likely that it is protected...

(Very Likely | 4_[d10]) No.

No it is not perhaps it was in mid morf. Lets roll!

8 = 8_[d8]

and her...d4+2

3 = 1_[d4]+2

She does not cast and the thing attacks D'ang...

3 = 3_[d8]

5 = 5_[d8]

He counters the things bite and Melan, the distance too short for his arrow moves in with a elfish short sword...

6 = 4_[d6]+2

vs. defend...

8 = 8

2 = 2_[d8]

Werewolf -4, he is at a solid 3, damn that elf is a badass! Moves and the wolf, pissed and snaps with an arm...

2 = 2_[d8]

and the elf, quick on his feet, defends by springing back...

6 = 6_[d6]

Her is on fire and the dwarf comes in, huffing...

5 = 5_[d8]

and the wolf

8 = 8_[d8]

nah he is out, he misses, Werewolf attacks, but who???

2 = 2_[d3]

Attacks Melan with a bite

6 = 6_[d8]

3 = 1_[d6]+2

D'ang he screams and I got to get Mitra into this let her loose with a...

Set snares.

Very high quality potion.

Mitra throws a snare potion, a bottle breaking and letting loose a whole bunch of ugly is there a plus on that?

(Sure Thing | 10_[d10]) Yes, and...

not only is there a plus but it is reusable!

2 = 2_[d3]

She throws the bomb

3 = 1_[d4]+2

Thing defends will he move??? ye gods I hope not!

6 = 6_[d6]

Nah he moves out of the way, the things rasping and colliding moving and thrashing.

But all to not... He snaps at the elf again

5 = 5_[d6]

Elf defends

5 = 3_[d6]+2

Defender wins! he slashes with that great sword of his.

6 = 3_[d6]+3

thing defends

4 = 4_[d6]

Werewolf DIIIIIES by the blade of Melan!

4 = 4_[d6]

Does the werewolf have anything useful, perhaps using the tomb as a shelter or something, I would say it is very likely!

(Very Likely | 10_[d10]) Yes, and...

Exquisite ancient artifact.

The werewolf not only had loot at the entrance, furs to keep warm but he has an exquisite ancient artifact. an..

Flail.

Reading lips.

In the underbrush of hams and lovely things there is the wonder of a forgotten flail which can read lips, you can spot things ahead, it hears by movement and will vibrate if something or someone is ahead.

D'ang claims it thankfully, "At least somethin' has got to come out of this damn place..."

He is happy with the healing pots found, he gorges them, it is likely they will work

(Likely | 1_[d10]) No, and...

No, he gobbles it down before Melan can stop him and is, yep, poisoned, and at one HP the dwarf is far worse.

Let us put down what caused D'ang dilemma, his falling into such serious damage.

Magic.

Overindulge.

Common criminal.

"After a drunken night with lots of ale, Melan and Mitra annoyed at him, D'ang spilled out into the street, his coffers dangling from his pockets spilling newly found gold and a common criminal goes to come at him, rob him. Magic is used perhaps a magical dagger of some sort and he is fallen. What was the reason for them going to the graveyard?

Allies.

It was in the way of them finding Gnish the healer on the dark side of a swamp.